How to select the right probate research firm

Finders International MD, Danny Curran, talks to the Law Society Private Client Magazine and gives his best practice tips and advice on how to select and instruct a probate research firm.

He comments; “Word of mouth and reputation are always a good starting point, but make sure you are dealing with a professional company”

“There are dangers of being ‘hooked’ into using a firm based on a very low initial quote, but cheap does not necessarily mean better. It is often true that you get what you pay for, and this is not an area where it pays to cut corners”

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Probate Property Sales & Services
We offer to manage a property for the estate administrator or client including handling all the legal work, searches, and the sale of the property. This saves considerable time, effort, and expense and minimises risk by using a tried, trusted, and compliant network.

UK Missing Asset Service
Our new and improved UK asset search draws together all the resources that can currently be checked for unclaimed or missing assets and will help you check for funds that may have been overlooked or deposited in accounts that have been forgotten.

Missing Will Service
If you are dealing with an Intestacy but need to check for a Will, or you hold a Will and are unsure if a more recent Will was made, Finders can help with our thorough and inexpensive, insurance approved Will searches.

Overseas Bankruptcy Searches
Before making distribution of estate funds to beneficiaries, it is strongly advised to run an international and domestic bankruptcy search against each heir in line to inherit for the protection of the Personal Representatives. Overseas cases are not always straightforward, and this is where Finders International takes over the reins and provides you with the best practices and specialists in this area.

International Asset Service
Our International Asset Service provides consultative and practical support to private clients and Wills and probate practitioners. We offer a variety of services to help deal with the existence of foreign assets, including helping to sell, transfer or recover a range of overseas assets including shares, bank accounts, and investment portfolios, assisting estates with the necessary administrative and legal paperwork.

Insurance (including missing bene cover)
Finders are the longest standing provider of AVIVA online policies and can arrange Missing Beneficiary Insurance, Missing Will Insurance, and comfort policies. We have a convenient ‘self-approval’ arrangement with AVIVA and can arrange policies without delay. Once our report is completed, we can apply for and obtain draft policies for your consideration instantly.

Distribution schedule preparation

Once the final estate value has been established we will be happy to prepare a distribution schedule outlining the monies due to each of the heirs

We wish to ensure all of our business and beneficiary clients that Finders International remains open and you should see no loss of continuity in the level of service and support received.

The health and wellbeing of our staff and members of the public remains at the forefront of our planning and we have responded to government updates and fully implemented all relevant government advice. Social distancing obligations have been relayed to all staff and representatives and are being observed in accordance with government advice. The vast majority of our team are now working remotely with complete access to our bespoke computer systems thanks to innovative systems created over the years and in line with emergency procedures. These systems continue to adhere to data protection legislation and all clients should remain confident we continue to safeguard their information accordingly.

Our telephone lines remain open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week at +44 (0)20 7490 4935 and any general queries can be emailed on [email protected]

UK Probate Research Awards 2019 & 2020

Finders International were proud recipients of awards at the 2019 and 2020 ceremonies, including ‘Best UK Probate Research Firm’.

Finders International is proud to have been accredited as a Living Wage Employer and are committed to this voluntary standard for all our UK staff. We recognise the importance of being a responsible employer.

A unique nine-digit sequence recognised as the universal standard for identifying over 240 million businesses worldwide. Recognised, recommended and/or required by more than 50 global, industry and trade associations, including the United Nations, the U.S. Federal Government, the Australian Government and the European Commission. Finders DUNS Number: 23-502-1651

NEWA is an independent directory of quality expert witnesses from a range of professions. Both our Managing Director Daniel Curran and Deputy Managing Director Simonne Llewellyn are registered as experts.

ICO is the UK’s independent authority set up to uphold, promote and enforce the information rights of the public under the Data Protection Act 2018 (and GDPR). Our data protection registration number is Z6654345.

We are proud to be the first probate research firm to become Friends Against Scams. Our industry became well known through the BBC TV series Heir Hunters and Finders wish to remain vigilant and responsible in proving their credentials is backed by their commitment to Friends Against Scams.

We have been vetted and approved by local government Trading Standards and are a Primary Authority Partner. You can find our partnership information by going to the government website at https://primary-authority.beis.gov.uk/par and searching for Finders.

We are the first probate research company to become an approved Corporate Affiliate Member of the CTSI. Membership is for businesses who support and promote CTSI’s aims and values. It is for those who want to help their customers and staff by providing the information they need and promote good business practices.

Finders International are certified in ISO 9001 which sets out the criteria for a quality management system and demonstrates our commitment to providing continual improvement of our customer’s requirements.

Public Sector Development Managers

Dave worked in several diverse local authorities undertaking the statutory role of providing funerals under the Public Health Act. He was responsible for registering deaths, making funeral arrangements, liaising with next of kin and all other duties falling into this sphere. Working in social care, Dave was also responsible for acting as deputy under the Mental Capacity Act for people who lacked the capacity to manage their own financial affairs. Having taken redundancy from his last local authority due to an internal restructuring following cost cutting measures, Dave started working with Finders International in May 2017 developing their business with local authorities. Please feel free to call at 07753306885 or contact him at [email protected]

Elaine Ridley has recently joined Finders International as Public Sector Development Manager, having extensive experience of working for and managing public services.

Formerly employed by a local authority as Coroner’s Service Manager, she has 14 years’ experience. While working in Ireland, she also trained and subsequently volunteered with Cruse Bereavement Care, providing bereavement support for six years.

Prior to this post, Elaine was the Family Liaison in a large physical and mental health NHS Foundation Trust. Providing a consistently high standard of support to families, carers and service users through Serious Incident or Complaint Investigations, she also developed training and presented locally and nationally on the importance of engaging effectively with families.

As with all Finders International Public Sector staff, Elaine is here to help, advise and support the work of hard pressed Bereavement Services Officers at NHS Trusts, Coroners and Local Authorities. Please feel free to call at 07498 322139 or contact her at [email protected].